SP3 feature Magnets

CPhillips · 3 Feb 2009, 05:32

The magnets that were in SP2 were fixed in space. This version allows any body (top level group)to be a magnet(attractor) and/or magnetic (attracted to magnets).

Magnet settings are in the UI when you click on a group. Strength can be a formula like Controlled joints.

More examples to follow. Post any cool models you make here.

[flash=648,480:1bk24twg]http://youtube.com/v/b2xayjtXxLY[/flash:1bk24twg]

Magnet-1.skp

Reactor4.skp

Verrou · 3 Feb 2009, 05:44

Very cool! Good work

Duddly · 17 Feb 2009, 02:46

I am using the Mac version of SP3 and I am having trouble using the Magnets. Anytime I enable the magnet or magnetic function in the UI from that time on I am unable to use any of the SP features. I press the play/pause and nothing works anymore. I have to quit sketchup and restart it. Sketchup also crashes during closing. Any Help?

Thanks

CPhillips · 18 Feb 2009, 07:54

@duddly said:

I am using the Mac version of SP3 and I am having trouble using the Magnets. Anytime I enable the magnet or magnetic function in the UI from that time on I am unable to use any of the SP features. I press the play/pause and nothing works anymore. I have to quit sketchup and restart it. Sketchup also crashes during closing. Any Help?

Thanks

Can you post the exact steps to reproduce this bug? It might not just be mac. It sounds like a bug I have been chasing for a while.

snoxie · 20 Feb 2009, 04:56

I'm having the exact same problem. I'll post back with steps.

snoxie · 20 Feb 2009, 05:18

1 - made a "solid floor"
2 - made a 3 cube stack
3 - hit play, top most cube was unbalanced and fell off.
4 - continued to just click and move blocks around
5 - deleted cubes, and made 3 more in a row equal distance apart
6 - clicked on the middle cube and clicked UI.
7 - clicked magnet check box and enter 10.0
8 - clicked on outer cubes and checked magnetic
9 - clicked play - nothing.
10 - while play is on i tried to move the cubes around, they don't move but only highlight with blue outline
11 - clicked pause/play but it doesn't pause. it stays a gray clicked button.
12 - I then clicked on the selection arrow tool and play/pause popped off and paused
13 - I clicked the middle cube (originally the magnet) the strength is blank. I type 50.0 unclick, then click again on the cube, and strength is blank.
14 - unchecked all states in the UI to try to make them all go back to their original states.
15 - the clicked play again
16 - while clicking and dragging on the cubes i only get the selection action
17 - i then deleted the 3 cubes and floor to try and start again in the same file.
18 - i make a floor and one sphere
19 - i hit play and its as if play was never hit at all. i click and drag and it start to draw another sphere.

well that's it. it was a play by play. hope that helps at all.

CPhillips · 20 Feb 2009, 07:49

Ah! I think that is a known bug on Mac, but it still might help me track down another bug.

Try this:
After step 7 make sure you click on one of the other fields in the UI before clicking play or anything else in sketchup. And let me know if that fixes the problem.

There is a bug in Mac Safari that fields (like strength) dont get updated properly if the window (the UI dialog) loses focus, like when you click back into sketchup. Kevin and I are working on a fix.

snoxie · 20 Feb 2009, 16:44

yes that totally works. But i found something else out. When you click on strength for the magnet you can't just leave it at "100" it wont work, nothing will move. You have to add .0 so its "100.0" then click in another field then it will work. It doesn't auto add the .0

CPhillips · 24 Feb 2009, 04:09

Fixed in next version.

snoxie · 26 Feb 2009, 03:07

Maybe in the future you could have a visualization of the magnetic field or for any of the invisible forces.

CPhillips · 27 Feb 2009, 02:03

@snoxie said:

Maybe in the future you could have a visualization of the magnetic field or for any of the invisible forces.

There really isnt a magnetic field. Is just pulls the magnetic object to the center of the magnet. A magnetic field is probably beyond the underlying physics engine.

snoxie · 28 Feb 2009, 01:09

damn. so i guess my next question may be pointless too: Does the magnetic number equate to anything special (like ? Or is it just a sequential value.

CPhillips · 1 Mar 2009, 08:13

The magnet simply tries to pull the magnetic object towards the center of the magnet using a force of "strength". The force gets stronger the closer the magnet is to the object.

BTM · 7 Mar 2009, 01:25

Could you add a 'range' feature? some magnets are strong, but with very limited range, and some are weak, with a large range. Any chance we'd be able to change these settings?

CPhillips · 8 Mar 2009, 02:49

@unknownuser said:

Could you add a 'range' feature? some magnets are strong, but with very limited range, and some are weak, with a large range. Any chance we'd be able to change these settings?

Its a little tricky but Ill see.